Chapter 46
Chris finally realized Xavier was serious, his eyes widening in disbelief.
“Are you out of your mind?”
But almost immediately, his shock morphed into mockery.
品
“Or maybe the price just isn’t high enough for you. Fine, name it, how much will it take to get you on board? A hundred thousand dollars?”
Xavier’s expression remained ice–cold.
“There isn’t a price.”
He wasn’t going to sell his conscience just to help cover up their mess.
Chris let out a sharp, sarcastic laugh.
“Well, aren’t you noble? Acting all righteous now, like you’re better than the rest of us.”
Then, as if a sudden realization struck him, his eyes flickered with amusement.
“Wait a second… don’t tell me you’ve got a thing for Stellar. Is that why you’re so eager to distance yourself from us?”
The second the words left his mouth, Chris realized he might have overstepped.
He just came from the private room where they learned that not only had Stellar refused to crawl back to Percy, but she had actually humiliated him twice.
Honestly, he was surprised.
But he still figured it was only a matter of time before she came running back
Now, throwing out that accusation made it seem like he was trying to stir the pot.
What he hadn’t expected was Xavier’s reaction.
After a brief silence, Xavier let out a quiet chuckle.
“Yeah. And what about it? Didn’t Percy already lose her?”
The room fell silent.
Chris choked on his own words.
The other guys stopped talking altogether.
Almost instinctively, they glanced at Percy, gauging his reaction.
His expression was grim.
Out of all of them, he was the one with the best background the highest achievements.
Everyone in their circle fawned over him.
Even though he and Stellar had broken up, hearing one of his own so–called friends say something like that was a blatant slap to the face.
Percy’s gaze darkened as it slowly swept over Xavier.
+25 BONUS
Chapter 46
He still hadn’t forgotten the way Xavier refused him that day.
Just as the tension in the room reached its peak, Percy suddenly laughed.
A smirk of pure disdain spread across his face as he sneered “Whatever.”
He didn’t believe Xavier for a second.
A man who had only made it this far because of him? No way did he have the guts.
Without another word, he turned and walked away.
Chris quickly followed, scoffing at Xavier on his way out.
“Let’s see how well you do without Percy backing you. Good luck finding work on your own.”
With that, he hurried after Percy, his tone shifting to a sickly–sweet eagerness as he tried to appease him.
“Come on, man, don’t let it get to you. I lined up a real stunner for you tonight–guaranteed to make you forget all about this mess…”
The crude conversation drifted past Xavier’s ears.
Disappointment settled deep in his chest.
For a long time, he thought that having someone like Stellar as his girlfriend might have changed Percy.
But in the end, he was still the same soulless bastard, surrounded by the same pack of degenerates.
Xavier turned away, his expression filled with quiet contempt.
And for the first time, he felt relieved–because from now on, he would no longer be one of them.
Stellar and Suzy never actually drank themselves into oblivion.
Instead, they caught up over drinks, updating each other on their lives.
When Suzy learned that Stellar joined the research institute and was finally working on something she loved, she was genuinely happy for her.
“I knew it. There’s no way you’d give up your dreams over some scumbag. Wait a minute…”
Then, she suddenly remembered something important.
“In a couple of days, it’ll be my grandma’s birthday, and I still have no idea what to get her. You know I’m hopeless when it comes to this stuff! But last year, the gift you picked out for her made her so happy!”
Suzy batted her lashes dramatically, clasping her hands together in a pleading gesture.
“I’m about to start filming again, so you have to find time to go shopping with me!”
The smoldering look in her eyes was the kind that could captivate an audience in any blockbuster romance.
Naturally, Stellar wouldn’t refuse.
But she hesitated for a brief moment as something crossed her mind.
“That’s easy. Tomorrow, I’ll
take you somewhere that you’ll love it.”
Clupter 46
That night, she sent out a message.
The next day, before noon, Suzy arrived to pick her up.
She wore a baseball cap and a face mask, keeping a low profile.
This was her hometown, and she kept her visit under wraps
Though she wasn’t a top–tier celebrity, she was well–known enough to attract attention in public.
